Improvement in car-couplings



A. K. KLINE.

Car-ouplings.

N0 l48,370 Patented March10. 1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIOE.

AARON K. KLINE, OF READINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENTi IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,370, dated March10, 1874; application filed December 1, 1873.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, AARON K. KLINE, of Readington, in the county ofHunterdon and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and ImprovedCar-Coupling, of which the'followv ing is a speciiication:

The invention will rst be fully described, and then pointed out in theclaims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal -sectional elevation of a couple ofdraw-heads with my improved coupling contrivance represented as coupledtogether. It also shows portions of the platform or car-bottoms dotted.Fig. 2 is a section of one of the draw-heads, showing the method ofsetting the coupler for coupling self-actingly; also, the method ofuncoupling;

and Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the draw- In order to uncouple thecars without goin g between them, I now propose to employ adepressing-lever, F, for forcing the inner end of the coupler down, inthe manner indicated in Fig. 2 3 for raising the opposite end of thecoupler out of the draw-head; also for tilting it up so that it willslide inward and engage its end Gr under the catch H, to hold thecoupler up level for coupling self-actingly, and, to operate the lever,I propose to have a double pawl, I, arranged above it on a crankedrockshaft, J, which may be turned by the operator standing at the sideof the car or on the platform, or a rod may extend from the crank K upto the top of the box-car, to enable one on the top to operate it. Thepawl is made double to throw the lever back again-also, in case itshould fail to go back-although it will be weighted for that purpose;but, as it' is subject to considerable jarring by the motion of thecars, it might not, in all cases, respond to its weighted end. The pawlmight be dispensed with, and the lever F applied directly to the crankedrod, but it is desirable to have thelever independent of the rod, inorder that its trunnions or pivots L may be arranged in elongatedcavities M, slightly descending. toward the front of the draw-head, tohold the-lever in the forward position, and allow it to slide back alittle under the influence of the backward pressure of the pawl, whenturned well down, to aid the coupler in sliding back to be caught bycatch H, and to accommodate itself to that motion. The catch H may beformed of a bent rod cast in the draw-head, as here shown, or by a llatpiece bolted on the bottom M behind the cavity O, and projecting beyondit. Behind the cavity O is a long chamber, Q, for receiving the coupler,and retaining it for use, in the bottom of which I have arranged acavity, I), for the head at the front end of the coupler to drop into,to secure it against working out. The coupler is prevented from swinginglaterally, when held up for coupling, by the shoulders B, and a littlenotch or bend in the under side of the catch H.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the draw-head A of a lever,F, for uncoupling and for adjusting the coupler for self-coupling, thelever being worked directly by the crankedrod J, or by a pawl, I, onsaid rod, substantially as specified.

2. The said lever F, arranged to slide back on its pivots o r bearings,to allow and aid theI coupler to slide under the catch H, substantiallyas specified.

AARON K. KLINE. Witnesses:

T. B. MosHER, C. SEDGWICK.

